A similar process is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,499,207. In this known process, in order to relieve the suspension bar of the weight of the plate, the electrode is brought from the vertical position into an inclined position and it is kept in this position by causing the upper part of the electrode, i.e. the suspension loops, the suspension bar and the upper part of the electrolytic plate, to rest against an inclined face of an upper support element and by causing the lower edge of the electrolytic plate to rest on a lower supporting element. In order to change afterwards the position of the bar with regard to the position of the plate, the bar is set moving by striking on one of its ends by means of a striking device, mounted on one side of said inclined face and it is kept moving by means of an extracting roller mounted on the other side of said inclined face. While moving the bar is supported by said extracting roller and by several support rollers mounted on the inclined face between the striking device and the extracting roller. When the suspension bar is separated in this way from the rest of the electrode, the lower support is caused to turn and the electrode deprived of its suspension bar falls on an evacuating conveyor.
In order that this known process leads to the expected result, namely the separation of the bar from the rest of the electrode, it is necessary that, when the electrode reaches said inclined position, the suspension bar is engaged with the extracting roller and that it exposes one of its ends to the striking device. Now, it may happen that at that moment the suspension bar is not engaged with the extracting roller and/or does not expose one of its ends to the striking device, for instance, when the lower edge of the electrolytic plate, which rests on the lower support element and which is supposed to be smooth, is deformed by electrolytic incrustations, or when for any reason the suspension loops of the electrode, which are supposed to have the same length, have a substantially different length, or even when for any reason the height of the electrolytic plate, which is supposed to be always the same, differs substantially from the normal height. Hence, this known process lacks reliability, since at the moment the suspension bar is relieved of the weight of the plate, the position of this suspension bar can vary substantially from one electrode to the other.
The aim of the present invention is to provide a process as defined before that avoids the drawback of the aforesaid known process.